Location:

Member since:

January 1, 2011

How did you discover Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group (MAHG)?

Meetup search

What are you looking for out of this group? (walks, transition from walking to hiking, easy, moderate, or strenuous hikes, ultra hiking, or trail maintenance work?) Please state all that applies to help us plan activities to meet your needs...

All of the above.

Introduction

I recently moved to Alexandria, VA from New Orleans and I can't wait to hike the middle of the AT. I grew up in Florida and we have a family cabin at the end of the AT in Maine.

We are a laid back and social hiking group full of diverse people who enjoy hiking with others while exploring a variety of trails throughout Maryland, DC, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia. A sense of humor is a must and we enjoy Mother Nature's diversity as well as our own so all are welcome to join. Our focus is on camaraderie and safety while having a ton of fun out on the trails. We also offer opportunities give back by helping to maintain trails throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and other environmental stewardship events. Our hikes are led by members of our leadership team consisting of well qualified hike leaders. Whether you are a newbie, or a very seasoned hiker, we are sure to have a hike for you on our very active and varied calendar.

WARNING - Our calendar is very active all four seasons and may become addictive and beneficial to your health!

Why We Hike - To have good times and make friends while enjoying the benefits of the great outdoors in a safe and welcome environment. As long as you are interested in hiking, then Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group is a group for you. Whether you are looking to hike to lose weight, have never hiked a mile in your life, or are looking to rise up to the challenge of a 30 mile ultra hike, we have a hike for you. Remember, we were all newbies once and we enjoy introducing others to hiking. Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group's hikes are a great way to relieve stress while getting exercise while enjoying the variety of what Mother Nature has to offer in our region and beyond.

When We Hike- We do it the morning, afternoon, after work, evening, darkest of night, every weekend day, all year 'round. We average 20 hikes each week. Get your mind out of the gutter 'cause we are talking about hiking here-grin. Seasonally, we offer weekday day hikes in addition to our variety of after work hikes throughout the area.

Where We Hike- Anywhere within the Mid-Atlantic region. Our hikes range from very easy sneaker hikes on paved paths along gentle streams and clear lakes, to very strenuous, steep climbs and rock scrambles to mountain summits. We visit Shenandoah National Park, George Washington National Forest, and the Appalachian Trail almost every weekend. We strive to offer at least one easy, moderate, and strenuous hike within 60 miles of Baltimore, DC, and Northern Virginia each weekend. Additionally, we have cookouts, white water floats, hike out/paddle backs, cave trips, natural water slides hikes, Appalachian Trail section hikes, camping trips, volunteer offerings, and last but certainly not least, our very popular Monuments in the Moonlight hikes.Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group was featured on the front page of the weekend section of The Washington Post newspaper.

How We Hike-With safety and camaraderie in mind while emphasize having fun out on the trails! As a recreational hiking group, we will not leave anyone behind and limit our hikes to small groups for the comfort and consideration of others and the environment. Hiking in large groups is not fun for you or anyone else on the trail, our leadership team included. Giving back is important to us and we pledge to practice Leave No Trace (LNT) outdoor ethics and are a partner with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. We are proud to be a silver level alliance member of the American Hiking Society and also participate in the "Adopt and Acre" program in the Appalachian Mountains offered through The Nature Conservancy. MAHG offers volunteer and trail maintenance opportunities and other community building events, so we welcome you to come on out and join us in making a difference in our parks and community.

Who Should Join- Simply put, you! Whether you are young, old, working, single, in a committed relationship, retired, laid off, shy, talkative, energetic, geeky, lazy (but hopefully you don't want to be or we just might have a problem with this one-grin), recovering from an injury, social, or a competitive speed hiker, this is a group for you. We embrace our diversity and thrive on it!